[Physical Education Field]
[Point of view: Third person]
The sun was blazing down on the heads of the students, who were panting slightly from the effort they had put into the assessment.
Aizawa, unperturbed, watched them out of the corner of his eye as he organized the data on his device.
A heavy sigh escaped his lips, thinking about how much these students had surprised him.
Despite their differences, despite their strengths and weaknesses, they had all shown potential.
These were not a mediocre group like the previous one who played at being heroes without any potential.
These, although they continue with the same enthusiasm, have the potential to leave behind that glorified image of the heroic world.
And he wanted to see their reactions.
In a fluid motion, he pulled a small device from his pocket and projected a holographic image into the air.
—Everyone, stand up.
Fatigue still weighed on their bodies, but none of them dared to disobey.
—We don't have time to review the data one by one, so look at the leaderboard.
Murmurs spread among the students when their names appeared on the screen.
Momo maintained a serene expression, but her lips curled slightly when she saw her name in first place.
Todoroki just crossed his arms.
Bakugo let out a satisfied snort, lifting his chin when he saw his name among the top spots and above that of the green-haired girl.
Akemi kept her composure, seeing that she had the same amount of points as the explosive blonde next to her.
Iida nodded proudly.
And then...
Hades looked at the list.
His expression remained neutral at first, his expectations high, as he slowly lowered his gaze.
His fingers tightened when he wasn't in the top 10.
His expression changed, leaving behind his stoic appearance.
Slowly, a shiver began to lick down her spine when she didn't see her name anywhere.
Her breathing stopped with each name that came up.
Because even though the letters seemed blurry, he would recognize his own name no matter what.
And then he saw it.
The only name without a surname was displayed in large letters at the end of the list.
Hades felt as if something inside him was putting pressure on every inch of him.
Her chest sank, her eyes refused to blink, her hands trembled, her throat went dry, and her legs lost complete control of themselves.
Ochako, who was standing next to him, slowly turned her head, noticing how his skin paled.
"Hades..." his voice was soft, full of concern.
Akemi frowned at this and lightly poked him in the side, trying to wake him up.
But he didn't listen, he didn't feel, he didn't react.
His vision blackened around the edges, his pupils dilated as they reflected a single number.
The 20th.
—How? How can that be?
His thoughts whirled in a vain attempt to make sense of the reality before him.
—I... I'm a God. How can I be the worst? How the hell am I there! How can I be inferior to all those... mortals?
"By the way..." Aizawa's voice cut through the tension like a sharp knife.
Hades blinked after a long time, feeling a slight burning sensation coming from them, and his attention barely returned to reality.
—What I said before, that the last one was going to be expelled...
The beating of his heart began to thunder in the boy's ears.
—... It was a lie! I did it to motivate you and get you to do your best.
The world stopped around all the teenagers, a new air filled Hades' lungs asking to be exhaled.
And a single scream echoed in the air.
—What!
Akemi, Hades, Ochako and Iida exploded at the same time.
Hades felt his soul leaving his body.
Akemi gasped, remembering her own expulsion at the hands of Aizawa.
That same man who had mercilessly taken her out in her other life... now said it was a joke.
"Here, go to the showers. I'll see you in the classroom to get your schedules." Aizawa calmly put away his device.
"That's a relief! Right, Hades-kun?" Hagakure said, walking towards him and patting him firmly on the back.
Hades, without putting up any resistance, fell like a freshly felled log.
-Hey...? Has... Hades? —Hagakure stuttered, surprised by what's happening.
"Hades!" Ochako shouted, understanding his fingers and activating her Quirk just in time to prevent her head from hitting the ground.
With clumsy movements, he managed to turn him over onto his back.
As he did so, he could see that her eyes were blank.
His breathing was slow, but steady.
"She fainted!" he continued, waving his hand in front of her face.
Akemi, who until then had been lost in her memories, moved before anyone else could react.
Her black whips shot out at him, wrapping around him firmly.
"I'll take him to the infirmary," he said, without waiting for an answer, and ran off in the direction of the main building.
I couldn't miss this opportunity.
For the first time that day, I could talk to him alone, and tell him everything that had changed.
Time passed, her footsteps echoed through the corridors while soft lights illuminated Akemi's face as she walked steadily towards the infirmary, with black whips wrapping around Hades's inert body.
But, his mind was not in the present.
Every step he took was an echo of the past.
She remembered the first time Aizawa looked at her with his stern, dull sapphires.
He remembered the disappointment on her face when she failed.
—You don't have what it takes to be a hero.
—You're a lost cause.
-Go away.
He had felt his world crumble at that moment.
I had felt the helplessness of being discarded, of being insignificant, of not having the natural talent that others did possess.
But here was Hades.
Hades, got last place just like her.
But, he was not expelled.
Because?
What changed?
What made him different from her?
He gritted his teeth. His grip on the whips tightened slightly.
I didn't understand it.
Was he special in some way? Or was she the one who, in her other life, simply never had any potential?
Maybe deep down, Aizawa never believed in her.
The cool air from some fans hit her face as she turned down the last hallway leading to the infirmary.
As he did so, he felt a slight movement in the whips.
"Fuck..." a deep whisper broke the silence. "My fucking head hurts..."
Akemi, hearing his voice, stopped her derailment.
—Oh, I'm surprised you're already awake.
Their eyes met. He was still half-dazed, blinking several times, trying to clear the haze of fainting.
—What the hell happened?
Akemi loosened the whips, allowing him to move a little more.
—We changed an event from the original line.
Hades frowned. His gaze had that sharp, calculating edge, but it was still drenched in fatigue.
—So? That's good, right?
Akemi did not respond immediately.
His stomach turned.
"Yes... but..." A pause, her lips thinning. Her voice dropped a notch. "I don't understand why Aizawa said it was a lie."
Hades let out a low growl. His body shuddered slightly as he tried to sit up.
"He... didn't hesitate to expel me before," she continued, looking down, biting the inside of her cheek. "He didn't hesitate to get rid of me."
The words hung between them, heavy, as if they might split the ground beneath their feet.
Hades slowly stretched his neck, finally noticing that he was wrapped in the whips.
With a snort, he swept them aside with a flick of his free arm and sank to his feet with less grace than he intended.
He wasn't used to feeling so weak.
He wasn't used to losing.
He brought a hand to his face, massaging his temples. His head throbbed with a pounding rhythm, almost as if his own body were punishing him for his recklessness.
"Damn..." he muttered. "How much do you think things will change?"
Akemi crossed her arms.
-Don't know.
I couldn't know.
I couldn't predict how different the future would be now.
—I just know that now I don't think they're as afraid of him as they were in my past life.
An awkward silence stretched between them.
Akemi looked at him sideways.
He was tense. His eyes still held a strange gleam, that mixture of rage and suppressed frustration. Being last in the class must have been a brutal blow to his ego.
But he didn't say anything.
He didn't complain.
He didn't scream.
He didn't threaten to blow up the school or prove Aizawa wrong.
That intrigued her.
Was it pride? Or was it something deeper? Are they really that similar?
Hades exhaled slowly and looked at her out of the corner of his eye.
-What's the matter?
Akemi blinked, surprised.
-That?
—You're staring at me too much, it's creepy.
-It's no big deal.
—You're lying.
She sighed and looked away.
—I'm just trying to understand something.
Hades raised an eyebrow.
—Understand what?
She hesitated.
His fingers twitched.
His mind went back to that fateful day in his past life.
When Aizawa told him it wasn't enough.
When All Might had to beg for her.
When he returned, with the certainty that it would never be enough.
But Hades... He didn't have to go through that.
Akemi took a deep breath.
—I don't know if I'll ever understand.
Hades looked at her for a long moment. Then he simply shrugged.
—Welcome to my world, Akemi.
Akemi rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop a small smile from spreading across her face.
It was the first time they had such a calm conversation.
No threats.
No tension.
Just two people with too many ghosts in their heads, trying to understand a world that gave them no answers.
"Come on, idiot," she said finally. "We have to get you to the infirmary before you collapse again."
Hades growled, but followed her.
As they walked, they both knew one thing for sure:
The future was no longer the same.
....
The hallway leading to the infirmary was silent, barely interrupted by the echo of Akemi's footsteps and the shuffling of Hades, who looked like a half-reanimated corpse.
Every movement reminded him of his exhaustion.
Akemi's right arm felt heavy, a residual tremor running through her muscles at irregular intervals. Her index finger was better, but still bothered her.
Hades, on the other hand, was worse.
His shoulder was shaking, his muscles were tense and torn, and his breathing was heavy.
He looked like a man who had walked in the desert for days without water.
"Fuck... my damn head hurts..." Hades muttered through gritted teeth, his eyes half closed.
Akemi looked at him sideways.
—Oh, I'm surprised you're still awake, Hades.
Her tone was neutral, but her mind was still gripped by the weight of what had happened.
Why wasn't he expelled?
An important event had changed, but Aizawa hadn't reacted the way he had before. Why?
He shook his head. This wasn't the time to think about that.
He reached the infirmary door and knocked on it.
"You may come in, you may come in!" came Recovery Girl's cheerful voice on the other end.
Akemi pushed the door and entered, accompanied by the half-asleep boy.
The moment the old woman saw who they were, her eyes narrowed.
"Oh?" He sized them up and clicked his tongue. "Well, well... what did you do this time? Do you always have to come for a promotion?"
He didn't wait for a reply before gesturing for them to enter.
—So, Midoriya, what happened to this brat? He looks like an underpaid office worker.
Akemi chuckled, placing a hand on the back of her neck.
—Well... we discovered that Hades can heal others, but with that, he apparently exhausted almost all of his stamina.
Recovery Girl snorted as she looked at Hades, who was barely managing to stay awake.
—So besides being a foul-mouthed brat, you're now also a worthless idiot?
"How kind," Hades growled, his voice slurred by sleep. "Akemi, tell the old hag to stop insulting me..."
"I heard you, brat!" the old woman snorted, hitting him on the leg with her cane.
Hades hissed and frowned, rubbing the bruised area.
—Shit... I don't even have the energy to avoid it...
Recovery Girl shook her head with a tired air.
"Get over there, you troublesome brat." He pointed to a stretcher. "And you, Midoriya, sit here."
Hades grunted something unintelligible, but as soon as he touched the pillow, he completely collapsed.
In less than a second, her breathing became slower and more rhythmic.
He had fallen asleep.
Akemi blinked, surprised at the scene.
—Did he really fall asleep that quickly?
Recovery Girl looked at him and snorted.
—He's been drained to his limits. If he keeps using his Quirk without understanding how it works, he'll die one day.
Akemi stared at the sleeping boy for a moment longer. He was annoying, rude, and foul-mouthed... but he'd also used everything he had to help her.
And that confused her more than she was willing to admit.
—Okay, Midoriya, let me check your hand.
Akemi stretched out her arm, still feeling the slight tremor in her muscles.
Recovery Girl took it gently, but her face was serious as she examined her finger and arm.
—Hades did a decent job, but his healing is poor.
—What do you mean?
"His Quirk has potential, it's almost the same as mine, except it uses his own stamina, but he clearly doesn't know how to use it." He sighed. "If he wants to heal without collapsing, he's going to need to learn, train, and find ways to increase or refill his stamina."
Akemi nodded, saving the information for later.
—It doesn't look like you need an X-ray, so...
The old woman leaned down and pressed a kiss to her hand.
A greenish aura enveloped his body.
The pain disappeared immediately, but a wave of fatigue hit her like a wave of icy water.
—That should do it, are you feeling better?
Akemi flexed her hand and nodded.
—Yes, although... more tired.
"Hohoho... it's normal, honey." He took a jar out of his robe and offered her some pink candies. "Here are some sweets, they'll help you regain your energy."
Akemi took one without complaint and brought it to her mouth. The sweet strawberry flavor exploded on her tongue, bringing a little warmth to her system.
"Get back to class," Recovery Girl waved her hand. "That brat will be asleep for a while."
Akemi stood up, ready to leave, but before she crossed the door, the old woman spoke again.
—Midoriya.
Akemi turned around.
Recovery Girl looked at her with a more serious expression.
"That kid is a pain in the ass, foul-mouthed, annoying. But he has potential and needs good friends to keep him in check."
Akemi blinked.
—Sooner or later, he's going to have to learn how to use his Quirk properly. If he wants to keep using that power, he'd better have people looking out for him or supporting him.
Akemi looked down thoughtfully.
—Take care of him, he had a bad childhood, but I'm sure he's not that bad.
Akemi did not respond.
He just nodded and left the infirmary.
As she walked down the aisle, the faint taste of caramel in her mouth, an idea settled in her mind.
If Hades could heal... then he may be a better piece than he originally thought.
A smile appeared on his face as he walked towards his living room.
[A few hours later]
The sound of shuffling footsteps echoed through the halls of UA. Hades was not in the mood.
After waking up, the first thing he received was a blow to the head from Recovery Girl, followed by a barrage of insults for getting up early.
"You're a lost cause! I should just let you rot on that gurney!" the old woman snarled, her brow furrowed.
"You old demon..." Hades snorted, his voice hoarse from sleep.
—What did you say, brat!
Before he could take another hit, the old woman had given him a couple of sweets and, without even letting him protest, applied her Quirk on him.
Fatigue hit him again.
"Fuck..." he growled, feeling his energy drain for the third time that day.
"Don't be such a crybaby, brat. You're better now, so get out of here before I change my mind and knock you out again."
Hades, chewing a candy in annoyance, left the infirmary in silence.
And now he was walking through the halls of UA, lost.
I had no idea where the damn 1-A was.
His vision was still a little blurry due to residual fatigue, and UA was a hellish labyrinth of classrooms and endless hallways.
"Left or right?" he murmured, looking down two identical hallways.
He chose to continue straight ahead.
After a few minutes of wandering, his sight caught a door with a large, clear sign: "1-B"
He didn't think much about it and turned the knob.
The noise of conversation in the room disappeared as all the students looked at him.
Hades narrowed his eyes, feeling everyone's gaze on him, sensing something wasn't right.
"Where were the idiots I met this morning?" he muttered to himself, frowning.
Right in front of him, a large man with white hair and imposing muscles stood up.
—Who are you supposed to be and what are you doing in 1-B?
Hades blinked several times. It took his brain a second to process the situation.
After a few seconds, he snorted.
—You're not the bum... where the hell is 1-A?
Before the man could respond, a familiar voice interrupted him.
—H-Hades!
Hades looked away at the source of the voice.
A girl with short brown hair, with bangs that covered part of her forehead, looked at him from her seat with surprised eyes.
"Huh?" he muttered, feeling an echo in his head.
"It's Kinoko!" Haruto shouted inside his mind.
Hades frowned.
—Oh... you're the girl named after a mushroom who fed me... Kinoko, right?
The young woman nodded quickly from her seat, still surprised to see him there.
But the muscular man in front of him interrupted again.
—What department do you belong to?
"1-A," Hades replied tersely, looking at him wearily.
The man looked at him for a few seconds before speaking.
—Your class is next door.
Hades, still holding the candy, nodded. He wasn't in the mood to argue.
Turning around, he slowly walked out of the classroom.
The white-haired man watched him leave and then muttered to himself.
—I guess that was the troublesome brat Aizawa mentioned...
Kinoko, on the other hand, followed him with her eyes until he disappeared down the hallway.
"Hades... at UA?" she whispered to herself, with a faint, nostalgic smile.
....
After a few seconds of walking, Hades finally arrived at the correct classroom.
As he opened the door to 1-A, he saw all the students moving around, packing up their things and getting ready to leave.
Hades shuffled in, his gaze lost, a hard candy hitting his teeth with each lazy chew.
The environment around him mattered little to him.
His eyes darted around, noticing that Aizawa wasn't in the classroom.
He didn't bother to wonder where she had gone, just sighed heavily and walked straight to his seat.
His body moved by inertia, without real purpose, as if his consciousness were trapped in an unbearable lethargy.
As he slumped into his chair, he crossed his arms on the desk and let his head rest on them.
Exhaustion was a plague that clung to his muscles.
For a moment, he closed his eyes, ignoring everything around him.
But a feeling pulled him out of his mental fog.
Someone was looking at him.
He didn't need to look up to know who it was.
I'd felt that same sensation before. An insistent, yet cautious, gaze.
His body didn't react.
He didn't have the energy to be upset, but the annoyance was there.
The sound of the candy crunching between his teeth was the only sign that he had noticed.
Beside him, the green-haired girl caught his attention, Akemi was sitting, holding her notebook.
Her fingers clung to him, squeezing him more tightly than necessary.
His gaze was lost on the cover, his expression tense, as if the object in his hands contained something more than simple notes.
But Ochako, sitting next to her, noticed her first.
His head tilted toward hers, his lips parting with some hesitation before he dared to speak.
—Are you okay, Akemi-san?
The sound of his voice was like a snap in Akemi's mind. Her eyes flickered several times before returning to reality.
His posture changed. His grip on the notebook relaxed, his back straightened slightly.
"Oh... yeah," her voice sounded distracted, but she wore a smile as if nothing had happened. "I was thinking about something, but it doesn't matter."
Ochako didn't seem convinced, but she didn't push either.
Instead, he clasped his fingers together in front of his lips.
—You're taking the train, right? Are we going together?
It took Akemi a few seconds to process the question before nodding with a smile on her face.
-Clear.
As he said this, his eyes shifted to the seat next to him.
And there he saw him, Hades remained motionless, his arms crossed and his head hanging like a pendulum.
He looked half dead, his eyelids struggling to stay open.
The candy in his mouth made a monotonous sound every time it hit his teeth, like a clock marking the passage of time.
Something about the scene struck him as funny.
He turned back to Ochako with a slight change in his expression.
—Although before we go, I think Hades needs something to wake him up.
Ochako's eyes sparkled with amusement before she let out a light laugh.
—Good luck with that.
Akemi leaned an elbow on the table and turned to Hades.
The boy did not move.
A finger snapped near his ear.
—Hades...
But he didn't react, a second snap came.
—Hades!
His eyelids opened lazily.
His eyes, tired and unfocused, barely made an effort to look at her.
"What?" he said, his voice slurred, deep, as if he'd just woken up from a coma.
Akemi tilted her head, amused to see him in that state.
—Let's go for coffee.
Hades blinked, his brain taking a couple of seconds to process the information before his brow furrowed.
-No.
His tone was dry and definitive.
Instead, Akemi tilted her head.
—Let's go for coffee.
-No.
Ochako watched the scene with growing amusement.
Akemi rested her cheek on one hand and looked at Hades with some feigned pity while winking at Ochako who was looking expectantly at the scene.
—Well, if you don't want to get up...
His hands moved quickly.
Before he could react, something grabbed his arm and pulled him hard.
Her back arched suddenly as her body was pushed out of the seat.
-Hey!
A second pull, now from the other arm.
"Come on, Hades-kun, we need you awake!" Ochako said, joining in the kidnapping.
Hades struggled, but his body was still clumsy and slow.
—Let me go, you damn Norns!
—Shh! Don't scream!
—Of course I'm going to scream, I'm being kidnapped!
—It's for your own good!
—I'm the fucking god of the underworld, not a sack of potatoes!
Several heads in the classroom turned toward them.
Some watched in disbelief, others stifled laughter, and some felt envious.
Bakugo, from his seat, snorted mockingly.
—Hah, you lazy idiot.
Momo, on the other hand, watched the scene cautiously, but did not intervene.
The footsteps of the three disappeared into the hallway.
...
The hallway was quiet except for the faint hum of the vending machine.
Hades crossed his arms, his brow still furrowed and the candy in his mouth making a constant crunching sound.
His eyes, though more focused, still held traces of annoyance.
Akemi took some coins out of her pocket and dropped them into the slot of the machine.
—Black or with sugar?
—I don't know... black?
There were no more words.
A button was pressed and the sound of hot coffee filling the can resonated in the air.
The silence stretched.
Ochako turned her head slightly and looked at Hades with a raised eyebrow.
—You know... you could be grateful that we care about you.
Hades did not respond.
He just made a guttural sound of displeasure.
Akemi pulled out the can and, without warning, threw it at him.
The reflex was automatic.
The fingers caught the hot object before he could react.
The weight, the temperature, the aroma...
His eyes dropped to the can and he stared at it for a moment.
The steam rose in small spirals.
The annoyance was still there, but the warmth in his hands was... comforting.
He opened it without saying anything and took a sip.
A pair of eyes watched him expectantly.
The drink went down her throat, spreading warmth through her body.
A sigh escaped between his teeth, followed by an annoying sucking sound.
—...It's not that bad.
Akemi's shoulders rose slightly, as if an invisible tension had dissipated.
—You see, it was necessary.
Hades slowly turned his head towards her.
—Yes yes... thanks and shut up.
Ochako let out a laugh.
The three of them started walking towards the exit.
Hades, coffee in one hand and candy in his mouth, continued grumbling and walked slowly, the coffee still in his hand, his mind too foggy to realize he was straying from his destination.
As he turned into the hallway leading back to the classroom, a voice stopped him.
—Where do you think you're going?
Akemi's dry, neutral tone made his brain process the words slower than normal.
He didn't turn around immediately, just sighed, his body feeling heavier than usual.
"Back to the classroom..." he murmured, his voice hoarse.
Akemi crossed her arms, tilting her head in disbelief.
—What for? Classes are over.
Hades didn't respond immediately.
He blinked several times, his thoughts colliding with each other, as if the information Akemi had given him didn't make sense.
"Classes are over... So why the hell am I coming back? But... Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?" he thought, a twitch appearing in his eyebrow, feeling annoyed with himself.
—Tch...
Without another word, he turned on his heel, the coffee making a soft sound in the can as he took another sip.
As he walked past Akemi, she raised an eyebrow in amusement.
—You didn't even bring a backpack, so you can't have forgotten anything.
Hades clicked his tongue, but didn't deny it.
A sly smile appeared on his face.
Akemi just shook her head, used to his attitude.
Beside him, Ochako walked at her own pace, with energy in every step.
"It was an interesting day! Don't you think?" he said excitedly. "Tomorrow we'll have heroic lessons!"
Akemi nodded, but her smile diminished slightly.
-Yeah...
For a moment, his expression lost its shine.
A slight shiver ran down his spine.
Bakugo, the building, the explosion, the hot air and the stabbing pain on his skin.
His fingers closed slightly into a fist, but he hid it almost immediately.
—Tomorrow will be a great day.
Hades didn't even drink his coffee anymore.
The noise from the hallways and the girls' voices mingled in a distant echo.
His mind had completely shut down.
I just walked, following them without thinking.
His mind wandered to a stupid, but necessary thought.
—Why the hell was the coffee still hot even though it was in a can?
Just then, a weight fell on his shoulder.
His body reacted before his brain.
His back tensed, his stomach tightened, and he instinctively jumped to the side.
—What the hell—
Her eyes, now wide open in surprise, met Iida's face.
The boy was as stiff and formal as ever, with a serious but enthusiastic expression.
—Are you heading to the train station? Let me walk you!
Hades' muscles were still tense, his heart pounding, and he posed with a frown.
Akemi covered her mouth with the back of her hand, her chest shaking with suppressed laughter.
—Hades, calm down. It's just Iida.
Iida adjusted his glasses precisely, as if preparing for a mission.
—I'm sorry I surprised you like that! But it's dangerous to walk without being aware of your surroundings.
Hades rubbed his eye with the palm of his hand, his brow still furrowed.
—Fuck you... —he grumbled something unintelligible.
Iida looked at the group and then at the path they were taking.
—Are you heading to the train station?
Akemi nodded, still with amusement on her face.
-Yeah.
—Then I'll go with you!
Hades clicked his tongue.
—We'll get on that thing again...
Ochako and Iida turned their heads towards him, one eyebrow raised.
"Of course," Akemi said. "After all, we have to get home."
Hades yawned heavily, his jaw creaking with the movement.
I didn't feel like arguing.
He let himself be dragged along by the group, the coffee still in his hand.
The train.
The crowd that smells of sweat.
The incessant noise of meaningless music, silly laughter, teenagers chatting.
Hell in the form of public transport.
He sighed heavily.
—I hate this damn elongated metal carriage...
[A few minutes later]
The train stopped with a soft screech, the doors slid open, and the stream of people moved as one.
Akemi and Hades calmly descended, while Iida and Ochako stayed behind, waiting for their own train line.
"See you tomorrow!" Ochako said, waving a hand.
Iida, with his straight posture and firm voice, added:
—Rest well! Tomorrow will be another day of hard training!
Hades just raised a hand, without looking back.
—Yes, yes... See you.
Akemi gave them a slight smile before turning and continuing to walk with her usual light gait.
The journey home passed in comfortable silence.
The night sky stretched out above them, tinged with dark blue and barely speckled with stars from the city lights.
When they finally got home, Hades lazily opened the door, only to find Inko in the living room, arranging some bags.
"Oh!" the woman exclaimed as she saw them enter. "I just got here. How did it go?"
Hades barely managed to raise a hand in a weak greeting before shuffling toward the couch.
And he collapsed.
—Oh... Are you okay? You look like a zombie.
Akemi, with a mocking smile, approached and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, lifting him up a little.
—First take off those clothes, take a bath, and have dinner.
Hades grunted something unintelligible, but no one paid attention.
Dragging her feet, she headed to the bathroom, her gym clothes a mess and her mind clouded with sleep.
The sound of water filled the house as Inko and Akemi settled at the table.
—Well? How did it go today?
Akemi leaned her elbows on the table, interlacing her fingers.
—Well... It was a long day, we had to do physical tests with our quirks, but nothing I couldn't handle and I came fourth.
—And Hades?
Akemi looked down the hall, where tired murmurs could be heard coming from the bathroom.
—He survived... Although barely, haha...
Inko giggled as she placed the plates on the table.
When Hades came out of the bathroom, his hair still damp and wearing comfortable clothes, he slumped into the chair.
The sound of cutlery against plates filled the table.
Hades ate in silence, his eyes half-closed from tiredness, while Akemi talked to Inko about the day.
Until suddenly, the girl stopped talking and stared at him.
Hades, feeling the gaze upon him, looked up lazily.
-That?
Akemi frowned.
—Now that I think about it... Why did you come back wearing your PE uniform?
Silence reigned for a few seconds.
Hades chewed slowly, swallowed, and shrugged.
—That tight uniform is still in the locker.
Akemi blinked, surprised at herself for not noticing something so obvious.
—Didn't you bring it?
—Nope.
Disbelief was reflected on his face.
—And why?
Hades yawned and rested his cheek on his hand.
—I forgot... Besides, you kidnapped me along with that mortal Ochako.
Akemi sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose.
—I hope you don't take long to change tomorrow.
Hades grumbled something unintelligible and turned back to his food.
Inko, who had been watching the conversation with an amused smile, decided not to intervene with the topic of the alleged kidnapping.
The rest of the dinner passed peacefully.
[The next day...]
Hades didn't know when he fell asleep, he just enjoyed his dream ruling the earth on fire, but suddenly he felt a tug on his arm that denied him his sleep.
—Hades...
He grunted, but didn't open his eyes.
—Hades, wake up!
The pull grew stronger with each moment, shaking his head.
-Let me...
—No! We'll be late!
—Five more minutes...
Akemi grabbed his arm tighter and mercilessly dragged him off the sofa.
The impact with the ground woke him up abruptly.
—What the fuck, Ake—
—It's already daylight, so wake up and put on your uniform quickly!
Hades, his face still pressed to the ground, muttered an insult under his breath.
He reluctantly got up and dressed in his PE uniform, following Akemi out of the house after eating cheese sandwiches for breakfast.
....
As they walked towards the station, Akemi let out a sigh.
—Today... will be a difficult day.
Hades looked at her out of the corner of his eye, yawning and scratching the back of his neck.
-What are you talking about?
—Well... let's say we'll fight in teams of two.
Hades paused for a moment.
His back straightened slightly and a smile formed on his face.
—Oh...
His eyes shone with excitement.
Fights.
Real combat.
A chance to use your power.
—That sounds interesting.
Akemi just looked away, saying nothing more.
....
Upon arriving, Hades went to his locker and changed his uniform so as not to get in trouble with Akemi who wouldn't let him in.
After a while, classes began.
The first class was English.
Classroom 1-A rumbled as a thunderous voice filled the space with overwhelming energy.
—Yeah! Good morning, young listeners of 1-A!
Hades frowned, his eardrums suffering from the explosive energy of the blond man with dark glasses and a yellow vest.
—I'm Yamada Hizashi, but everyone knows me as Present Mic! And I'll be your English teacher!
Hades closed his eyes for a moment, swallowing hard the tiredness that still weighed on his shoulders.
-Damn...
The rest of the class seemed excited or at least entertained by their teacher's presence, but Hades didn't share the sentiment.
As soon as they handed him the English book, he held it in his hands as if it were a cursed object.
His eyes scanned the English words suspiciously, seeing more symbols than meaning.
—What the hell is this thing?
Present Mic started the lesson with overwhelming energy, explaining grammar, pronunciation, and some basic phrases.
Hades tried to keep up... but it was all in vain.
—Alright, guys! Let's practice! Repeat after me: Where is the station?
The class repeated in unison, although with varying levels of confidence.
Hades moved his lips, but his mind wasn't processing anything.
—What the hell does 'where' mean?
Every time I turned the page of the book, I felt a hammering in my skull.
But the worst was yet to come.
—Okay, students! Now we'll have each of you stand up and say a sentence in English!
Hades looked up, completely blank.
—Let's start with you, Hades!
Hades's blood ran cold.
He stood up slowly, his expression neutral, not showing the frustration that was boiling inside him.
He walked to the front of the room with a cold and stoic presence, but in his head chaos reigned.
Present Mic smiled at him energetically.
—Alright! Just say: My name is Hades and I am from Japan!
Silence.
The room waited in anticipation.
Hades inhaled deeply, trying to ignore the cold sweat on his back.
—M-My... name... is... H-Hade... and... I... is... fr-from... Japan...
Awful.
The disaster was absolute.
His voice, normally firm and confident, faltered with each misspoken word.
A slight murmur began in the classroom.
Some colleagues hid a smile. Others didn't bother to hide it.
A couple of giggles escaped the room.
—Pfft...
-What was that?
—How do I pass the English section of the exam?
Hades didn't react immediately.
But his right eye moved barely, registering the source of the murmurs.
He remembered their faces.
He memorized their voices.
He made no comment.
He showed no emotion.
But, I knew and expected the tag team fight that is coming.
Present Mic, who had read Hades' report before class, sighed inwardly.
—This is going to be a long road... But I can't leave a young listener without knowing English.
...
The bell rang, marking the end of the Englishman's torture.
Hades slumped back in his seat, feeling like his brain had been stabbed with a plastic spoon.
—Damn hellish language... —he thought, putting the English book in the yellow backpack Akemi gave him.
However, his sigh of relief was short-lived.
The sound of the door opening announced the arrival of the next teacher.
An imposing figure entered the classroom with a firm stride.
—Good morning, Class 1-A! My name is Ectoplams, and I'll be your math teacher.
Ectoplasm's dry, authoritative voice filled the room.
Hades looked up reluctantly, observing the man with the long cloak and face hidden behind his metal mask.
But what really made him curse his existence wasn't the professor himself.
It was the monstrous book that crashed onto his desk.
Math.
Heavy. Dense. With pages full of equations and graphs that looked like they were drawn by a lunatic.
Hades frowned, opening the book with false confidence.
He tried to read the first page... and instantly regretted it.
—Why the hell are there letters in numbers?
His gaze swept over strange symbols:
Quadratic equations, Cartesian planes, roots, unknowns...
Chaos in the form of ink.
Akemi, sitting next to him, noticed the suffering on his face.
"Do you need help?" he whispered in an amused tone.
Hades did not answer him.
He just turned the page like he knew what he was doing.
The problem was that the next page was worse.
"There are triangles now? And what the hell are 'sine' and 'cosine'! Since when do numbers have functions?"
—... I'm finished.
—Today we'll start with trigonometry and solving equations, Ectoplasm announced.
Hades felt his soul being ripped out.
The teacher wrote on the blackboard with white chalk, drawing lines and angles.
—Let's solve this problem together.
The class's eyes focused on the exercise, analyzing it with varying levels of interest.
Hades continued to watch, not understanding anything.
But I wasn't going to admit it.
With his cold and stoic expression, he kept his gaze fixed on the blackboard, as if he understood everything.
But in his head...
There was only white noise.
Akemi leaned slightly towards him.
—Do you understand?
-Of course.
—Yeah. And what does "tan(θ)" mean?
-Well...
Hades slowly closed his eyes.
-Fuck...
The torture of mathematics had been endless.
The two hours seemed to have stretched into days, each minute more torture than the last.
Hades, his mind a mess of numbers and formulas, felt as if an invisible hammer was hitting his head repeatedly, shattering any semblance of logic that might exist in his mind.
Finally, the doorbell rang.
The relief Hades felt upon hearing the bell was almost palpable, as if he had escaped from a mental prison.
Freedom had finally arrived at their doors.
As the class began to empty, the group of students rose from their seats, stretching and relaxing their shoulders from the academic pressure.
Hades, like everyone else, stood up slowly, but unlike the others, a small flash of joy ran through his body.
He had survived.
He didn't understand a single word, but he had survived.
His body moved with palpable relief, rising heavily and watching as the others scattered into the room, eager to escape the classroom.
Then, his gaze met Mina's.
It was the pink-haired girl, the same one he'd had a sit-up showdown with the day before.
In that instant, their eyes met, and for a split second, there was something strange between them.
The void.
The recognition of intellectual defeat.
They both shared the same lost gaze, as if they were souls lost in the same desert of formulas they didn't understand.
Mina, visibly dejected, was the first to break the silence.
"Did you understand anything?" he asked, his tone filled with frustration.
Hades shook his head, as if by instinct.
"Not one bit..." he snorted, running a hand over his face, feeling fatigue wash over him.
They both sighed deeply at the same time. It was as if the world of mathematics had defeated them, and with each step they took toward the door, the disappointment of having failed together grew stronger.
Akemi, from across the classroom, watched the strange interaction.
He had noticed the exchange of glances between Hades and Mina, and although he didn't fully understand the connection between them, a small mocking smile appeared on his face.
Without thinking twice, Akemi approached, deciding to join the two's walk.
I knew that if I let them go alone, they would get lost in some corner of the school.
"Where are you going?" she asked playfully as she walked toward them.
Mina and Hades turned to her, both still with their heads down, as if math class had left them empty.
"Are you joining us for our aimless walk?" Mina replied with a tired half-smile. Hades, for his part, just snorted.
"It's not like we have anywhere to go..." he said, glancing at Mina and then at Akemi.
"I'm hungry too," Akemi interrupted, a glint of amusement in her eyes. "And I'm not sure they'll survive if I leave them alone. Where do they think they're going?"
The truth was that Akemi knew perfectly well that both Mina and Hades would get lost if she let them walk alone, and she wasn't going to allow it.
Mina and Hades walked slowly, hunched over in discomfort and frustration from the class, and Akemi, giggling, joined them naturally.
"Let's go to the cafeteria, you need to eat to get over the defeat," she suggested.
The three of them made their way through the halls, the bustle of the school growing as they approached the lunchroom. Students chatted animatedly among themselves, some still reliving their lessons, others already completely forgetting the morning's ordeal.
"It's weird, isn't it?" Akemi commented as they walked. "Sometimes it seems like we're all here to be heroes, but really... we don't know anything."
Hades just nodded, wordlessly, and continued walking as fatigue overwhelmed him. His steps were automatic, almost as if his body were completely disconnected from his mind.
Mina, however, couldn't help but smile. She knew the day had been a disaster, but something about the chaos of it all made her feel a little less alone.
Upon arriving at the cafeteria, the atmosphere was warm, almost familiar.
The students quickly dispersed, looking for food and company.
Akemi, Mina, and Hades walked toward a long line of students where a man in a white chef's suit was serving them lunch.
...
The line moved forward, and the air in the UA cafeteria was filled with the bustle of students who, after two hours of mental torture, finally allowed themselves to relax.
The animated voices of some mingled with the sound of cutlery clinking against trays, the murmur of overlapping conversations filled the space.
But in the row where Hades and Mina were, the energy was completely different.
They both remained hunched over, the shadows of their defeat projected on the cafeteria floor.
They moved almost by inertia, their steps dragging as if the weight of education had drained their souls.
Akemi, standing next to them, looked at them out of the corner of her eye with an arched eyebrow. They looked like heroes who had managed to return to their families after the first war...
"Are they still alive?" he asked, with a hint of mockery in his tone, to forget the silhouettes of those who suffered.
Mina let out a sound between a moan and a sigh as she rested her forehead on the metal tray she was holding.
—I don't know... Akemi...? I just don't know.
Hades, for his part, snorted and ran a hand over his face.
—This is ridiculous. Why the hell are they forcing us to learn such absurd things? Why do I need to understand quadratic equations if I can knock out a villain with my fist?
Akemi clicked her tongue.
—If you don't want to repeat the year, you'd better stop acting like you've been executed.
Mina turned her face toward her, her expression completely blank, as if she had lost the will to go on.
—Can you repeat that in Japanese? I don't understand a thing after two hours of listening to Ectoplasm-sensei speak in an alien language... Let alone English.
Hades let out a tired snort, but Mina noticed.
They exchanged glances for a moment.
In each other's eyes they saw the same thing: emptiness.
Hopelessness.
The absolute certainty that none of the equations they had just seen made sense in this world.
Mina opened her mouth first.
—Did you understand any English?
Hades shook his head slowly.
—Not a damn thing.
They both sighed in unison, their heads drooping forward, as if the weight of misunderstood knowledge was too much to bear.
At that rate, if a villain didn't kill them in the future, education would.
Akemi watched them for a few more seconds, until a small laugh escaped her lips. It was such an absurd sight that she couldn't help but find it amusing.
"I can't leave you alone, natural selection might leave you behind," he said, moving forward with them as the line continued to move.
...
While waiting for their turn at the counter, Akemi turned her head and looked at Mina again.
For a moment, her mind betrayed her.
They were no longer in line at the cafeteria.
They were no longer in this timeline.
Suddenly, Akemi found herself in that ruined future she hated to remember.
Mina was there, radiant, always full of life, always smiling.
He was one of the few people at UA who had truly accepted her without hesitation, without question, without trying to change her.
Mina accompanied her in the hallways, teased her with light jokes, and tried to teach her how to dance in her free time.
She was a friend, and Akemi...
She lost it.
It was all one person's fault.
After that day, Mina's joy disappeared.
Her smile no longer lit up the halls.
It became an empty shell.
And one day... he just left.
He left the UA
Akemi felt a chill. The pain of the memory was so strong that she didn't realize she'd closed her eyes.
When he opened them again, he was back in the present.
Back in line.
Back at the UA
Reality hit her when the sound of a metal tray hitting the counter surface brought her out of her reverie.
Akemi blinked a few times and looked straight ahead. The man behind the counter, with his white mask and immaculate chef's uniform, watched her patiently.
He cleared his throat and ordered his food.
—Rice and curry, please.
The chef was quick to serve her order, placing the steaming bowl on the tray. Akemi took it firmly and moved forward.
Behind her, Mina remained mired in her misery.
"Something to help with my post-math headache..." he murmured, without looking up.
The chef was silent for a moment, watching her closely.
Then, without saying anything, he nodded slowly.
With precise movements, he prepared a different tray for her: rice with a generous piece of breaded pork, accompanied by a small bowl of steaming broth.
When Mina received the food, she blinked in surprise.
—Oh... this looks good!
Hades, at his side, looked at the tray and observed every detail.
If she got that because she struggled in math...
He had suffered too.
"Give me the same," he said firmly.
The chef didn't ask any questions, he just repeated the order.
When Hades received his tray, he looked at it with a neutral expression.
But inside, he felt something akin to satisfaction.
He didn't understand math, but at least he got a good meal.
The three of them took their trays and moved away from the counter, looking for a place to sit.
...
The table they had chosen was in a corner of the cafeteria, away from prying eyes.
Hades and Mina, still recovering from their traumatic experience, stared at their trays with the same intensity with which a predator analyzes its prey.
Before they could burn their lunches with their stares, a voice interrupted them.
"Hey, classmates!" Iida exclaimed, sitting next to Hades with a stiff, precise movement. "It's nice to see you so close and ready to recharge your batteries for the next class."
Hades and Mina looked up at the same time, blinking in confusion.
"Next class?" they asked almost simultaneously.
They looked at each other, trying to remember what came after that break.
Their brains were not yet able to process complex information.
Luckily, Akemi saved them the trouble.
—Next class is supposed to be heroic training, right?
The reaction was immediate.
Mina's expression lit up as if she had just heard the best news of the day.
Hades, on the other hand...
He smiled.
But it wasn't a normal smile. It was a creepy smile, laden with a dangerous delight.
Because in his mind, the word "training" didn't just mean improving his skills.
It meant settling scores.
It meant making the mortals who dared to laugh at him in English class pay.
Akemi, who was watching him out of the corner of her eye, frowned.
—Hades, stop smiling like that. You look like you're going to kill someone with a spoon and a pair of chopsticks.
A few prying eyes from other students were already focused on his table, murmuring among themselves as they watched him uneasily.
Apparently, the sight of Hades with that malicious smile made them feel slight dread of him.
But Hades did not respond.
There was no need to do so.
In his mind, his goal was already set.
With a simple "itadakimasu", he picked up his chopsticks and began devouring his food at an alarming speed.
But he wasn't the only one.
Mina, who shared the same level of overwhelming hunger and excitement for training, also entered berserker mode.
They both ate with a speed that bordered on the inhuman, their cheeks puffed out and their hands moving restlessly as they devoured their food without pause.
The sound of cutlery hitting the tray, the loud slurping of hot broth, and the sight of two teenagers devouring their food as if they hadn't eaten in weeks was too much for Iida.
"Hey, don't eat like that!" he shouted desperately, his hands waving wildly as he pointed at them. "It'll give you stomach pains, and besides, you look like animals in this prestigious dining room!"
But despite his complaints, the hungry pair ignored him.
They only paused momentarily to glance at him, their mouths still full of food, and in perfect synchronization they responded with an unintelligible murmur:
—Shut up, four eyes...
Iida almost choked on his own bite.
His face twisted in disgust and he snorted heavily, deciding it wasn't worth arguing with them.
He returned to his meal, eating neatly and politely, as dictated by the rules of the UA dining hall.
Akemi, who had been silently watching the scene until now, couldn't help but let out a low laugh.
It was a strange sight, but at the same time...
It was nice.
For a moment, the tension of his return in time and the burden of his mission dissipated.
At least for now.
So he just enjoyed his meal, listening to his teammates talk about what they expected from training.
...
After finishing their lunches, Hades and Mina enjoyed the last sips of their soup.
The warmth of the broth descended down their throats, filling them with absolute satisfaction.
When they lowered their bowls, their expressions reflected pure delight.
"That was a good meal!" Mina exclaimed, stretching her arms before starting to tidy up the mess she'd created around her.
—A meal worthy of a god —Hades rose from his seat elegantly, stretching his arms with an expression of supreme satisfaction.
Iida and Akemi rolled their eyes at them, holding a small smile on their faces.
Iida was about to speak, but decided to save it for the moment, as it was time to return to school.
Time passed quickly, and Class 1-A returned to their places in the classroom.
Lively conversations echoed in the air as some relaxed and others discussed theories about the next class.
However, there was one insistent gaze that Hades noticed without even turning his head.
It was Momo, and she was looking at him out of the corner of her eye.
Every so often, she seemed to work up the courage to approach or greet him, but as soon as she took the first step...
Hades ignored her.
His indifference was absolute.
He didn't look at her. He didn't respond. He didn't react.
Momo pressed her lips together, feeling a discomfort she didn't know how to describe.
But before he could insist once more...
A burst of energy suddenly appeared, stopping all initiative from the girl.
BOOM!
A loud and energetic voice shattered all conversations in the classroom.
—Tired of boring morning classes?
Everyone turned their heads towards the door, seeing a gigantic silhouette peeking out from behind it.
—Well, don't be afraid! Why?
The door swung open, and a tall, muscular, and resplendent figure burst into the classroom with unwavering enthusiasm.
—Because I'm here! Hahaha!
It was All Might.
—Walking through the door like a normal teacher!
His charismatic voice filled the classroom while his smile shone like the sun.
A burst of emotion ran through the class.
The students stood up in their seats, excited.
—It's All Might, the Number One Hero!
—Is your costume from the Silver Age? It's great!
It was impossible not to be infected by his energy.
Akemi looked at him with a mixture of happiness and nostalgia.
The man he once admired and watched fall was now there, alive and in his prime.
Her heart was beating fast, not from nervousness, but from pure joy.
And as All Might smiled at her class, she promised herself once more:
I wouldn't let that future repeat itself.
TO BE CONTINUED.